


Rubbish

by robogalaxy



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Backstory, Childhood, Dialogue Heavy, Friendship, Gen, Mild Language, One Shot, Pre-Canon, mild emotional abuse, rated T for that and the mistreatment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23617651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robogalaxy/pseuds/robogalaxy
Summary: “You kick garbage to the curb, Oleana, sweet,” her mother said, “that’s how it goes. And sometimes,” she continued while Oleana covered her mouth in saddened shock, “you have to do it physically.”A young Oleana meets an unexpected friend.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	Rubbish

Oleana woke up to her parents sitting in her room, each of them only half awake themselves and holding onto cobalt envelopes. Neither of them looked especially excited to be there; Oleana's mother sat on the end of her bed while fiddling with her Kalosian manicure and her father was almost completely out of it again. After finding the time to look up from her nails and actually notice her daughter was awake, Oleana's mother waved slightly before turning to her husband with an almost authoritarian shrill in her voice. 

"Felix!" The woman snapped, "she's up." Felix, careful not to show he had almost been drooling (and on Oleana's nice reading chair, too) bolted up from his comfortable position and widened his eyes to ensure he was conscious. 

"Gah, Sabine..." he muttered, his fingers carding through sandy blonde hair. 

"G'morning," Oleana slurred, rubbing her eyes while her free hand roamed around and under her pillow to look for the glasses she was sure fell off in her sleep.

"What're doing?" Felix asked, "Lose something under there?"

"Glasses," Oleana responded, "I want to see-"

"Then why aren't you using your contacts?" Sabine drilled, "They're right there on your bedside table." 

"Yeah, but I just woke up, and my glasses'll be a lot more comfortable." 

"Oleana, sweet, wear your contacts," her father spoke up, "if I can be honest, your glasses don't look too good on your face anyway. You picked the wrong frames, honey." Sabine nodded and motioned towards the lavender container on the table, waiting silently as Oleana sighed tiredly and grabbed them before walking to the bathroom across the hallway.

"And come right back, okay?" Sabine asked, "we didn't come in your room this early just to say hi or anything." Catching eye contact with Felix, Sabine smirked and shook their daughter's glasses in her hand, proud she had even managed to snag them before Oleana woke up. Hearing footsteps, the adults hid their strange sense of wonder and Sabine placed the glasses in her back pocket. 

"Well, Oleana," Felix said, "me and your mother feel awful for forgetting your birthday last week."

"We really do, sweet," Sabine echoed. The reminder of this fact didn't surprise Oleana in the slightest, but she couldn't lie and say it didn't sting hearing them admit to forgetting it.

"Okay," Oleana nodded as she tried to crawl back under her duvet, "it's okay." 

"Yeah, and we feel even worse knowing it was your 9th birthday and all," Felix muttered. Somehow, somewhere, Oleana felt like he didn't mean that.

"And for both of us, that's when we got our first Pokemon," Sabine explained, "and so we decided that as an apology, we would go out and pick a pair of Pokemon for you to choose between! Isn't it exciting, Oleana?"

"They're in the envelopes, both purebred and both very fitting for a stunning little girl like you," Felix smiled, "and-"

"Your watch is beeping, Dad," Oleana interrupted whilst folding her arms in frustration, "you two can just leave the envelopes and get back to whatever it is you need to do."

"You're right," Felix said, looking up to Sabine and standing from the small chair rather quickly, "well, sweet, c'mon!"

"Oh, okay," Sabine said while she tossed the envelopes onto Oleana's bed, accidentally hitting her daughter in the face with them instead. Her and her husband were out the door and had closed it behind them before Oleana got to say anything about it at all. Looking at the envelopes, she picked the one on the left to look at first. Opening it up with precision, she was greeted to a glossy photo of a newborn Purrloin. 

"Purrloin, weightiest of her litter..." she read off the small notecard enclosed with the picture. Opening the next one, Oleana saw a small Minccino nursing from a bottle and read the back of its picture. 

"Minccino, the softest of his litter..." she muttered, putting the picture back in its envelope before placing them both on her bedside table and looking up at the ceiling. She wasn't truly interested in either of those Pokemon - they were just pre evolved forms of her parents' partners - but perhaps one of them would fit her and give her companionship. Perhaps they'd remember her birthday and know she turned 10 instead of 9, unlike some people Oleana didn't mind forgetting for a bit.

* * *

"Goodness, walk with poise, child! Remember, every street is like a runway, sweet." 

"I _know_ , Dad." 

It was a sidewalk only big enough for two to walk side by side, and thus Oleana was left to follow behind her parents, expected to perfect her steps as if everyone was watching. She was dressed to the nines (Felix would pitch a fit if his daughter wasn't camera ready at all times while Sabine meticulously tended to every flaw of Oleana's hair), her feet beginning to ache due to the tightness of her designer shoes.

"You do know where we're headed, right, Oleana?" Sabine questioned as her hand locked with Felix's, her head only slightly turned behind her. 

"No," the girl muttered, her arms folded (no doubt was it an attempt to wrinkle the sleeves of her jacket to annoy her parents), "where?"

"You don't know! Good, we'll keep it that way, then," Sabine laughed, "a surprise every once in a while can't hurt you." Felix agreed with a quiet nod and instantly started to drone on about some upcoming photo shoot. Whatever it was that he constantly gabbed on about didn't entertain Oleana in the slightest. She didn't care and she was almost certainly confident that she would never care. Walking behind her parents so engrossed in conversation, however, gave the girl a chance to look around the streets of Motostoke, taking in the gears turning all around her. Steam came from tall towers and alleyways peered out onto the main streets. As Oleana stared into one of these dark alleys, she swore she saw something scuttle by. This stopped her in her tracks, and she turned to see if her parents had noticed that she was no longer trailing behind. To her chagrin, her parents continued their stroll, laughing obnoxiously and placing silly bets on which Pokémon their daughter was going to choose. 

_The nursery. Figures. They don't waste time when it comes to finding me another accessory. That's all they see their partners as, anyway._

Oleana waited another moment before she walked into the alleyway, the sound of her kitten heels echoing against the concrete. She moved slowly, waiting to hear the rustle again. Her voice stayed quiet as she called for the cause of the noise, a hushed whisper. 

"Hello? Thought I heard something over here." Oleana heard no response, but instead saw the small thing waddling towards her with curiosity. It stood there with wide eyes and pointed teeth, looking up at Oleana. 

_Not what I expected, but it's not...disappointing._

"Oh, hello," the girl said, "was that you I heard, little Trubbish?" The small creature didn't reply, so Oleana sighed and kneeled down to look it in the eyes. An unpleasant smell wafted from the Pokémon, but Oleana tried to ignore it the best she could. Her skirt's hem was stained by the gravel of the concrete below, and this pleased her greatly - this outfit was a pity gift from her father after he forgot to come by to pick her up from classes, and it deserved to get mucked up. She was tired of having to be picture perfect, anyway. The Trubbish lifted its arm to point at the mess of lace now stained with gray dust, tilting its body to the side inquisitively.

"Oh, yeah," Oleana said, "upset my skirt's all nasty?" Happily, the Trubbish closed its eyes in glee, smiling as it tried to push more dirt onto the outfit. Oleana giggled at this and instinctively reached out to pat the creature. 

"Don't imagine you'd actually get mad over some grime, lil' thing," she said as she saw sharp teeth grin wider, "you're free to help scuff it up a bit more.” The explicit permission given to the Trubbish left the creature’s eyes brimming with excitement as it ran back into the alleyway before sprinting as fast as she could to smack her little, grimy arms against the fabric. Oleana smiled a little wider - this smile being genuine, and she reached forward to pet the Pokémon again. Something about it, despite its nasty demeanor and physical ugliness, drew Oleana in. It was playful and joyous, happy to be with her. _If they had one of these little guys at the nursery..._

“OLEANA! What the hell do you think you’re _doing_?” The girl turned around to see her parents with folded arms and angered expressions, her mother being the one to yell at her so fiercely.

“I’m talking to a Trubbish,” Oleana explained, standing up and pointing at the creature with a hopeful glance, “isn’t it cute?”

“ _Cute?_ Sweet, that thing's hideous. Don’t touch it again,” Felix argued, “in fact, don’t even get near it again. Look what it’s done to your outfit! Sabine, look what it’s done to her outfit.”

“Mom, Dad, it’s not that big of a deal!” Oleana said with defiance, “it’s just stains! They’re washable! Me and Trubbish were just having fun.”

“You call staying behind in a Motostoke alleyway with some disgusting creature _fun_ , Oleana? That’s an odd definition. Felix, isn’t it an odd definition?” Sabine tapped a foot impatiently while Oleana looked at her with a childish frustration in her eyes. She’d had enough for today, really, and didn’t mind to let it be known. If it was to get her into hot water, _so be it._ The Trubbish tried to back up from Oleana’s parents, but sensed that she needed to be close to the girl in case things went sour. The girl was nice to a lowly little Trubbish like her - it was the least she could do. 

“You didn’t even _notice_ I was gone! For almost ten minutes! You walked off without me!” Oleana fired, stamping a foot on the ground. Sabine sighed and shook her head. 

“ _You_ know once we have a destination in mind that we don’t stop easily. Perhaps you shouldn’t have veered off the path or we wouldn’t have left you behind for so long! You make it seem as if we’re neglectful.”

“Your mother’s right, Oleana. Now,” Felix sighed, his hand grabbing onto his daughter’s wrist before gently tugging her towards the direction they were headed, “we’re going to get you a partner Pokémon. One way better than… _that_ thing.” Insulted, the Trubbish waddled forward with all her strength, ready to bare her sharp teeth and protect the name of the girl who treated her with kindness. Her little arms flailed forward towards Sabine, but the force of the woman’s foot against her body took her aback.

“You kick garbage to the curb, Oleana, sweet,” Sabine said, “that’s how it goes. And sometimes,” she continued while Oleana covered her mouth in saddened shock, “you have to do it physically.” The trio then continued on their way, Oleana tempted to run back to tend to the injured Trubbish. If not now, she’d come back. 

“Promise,” Oleana mouthed to the Pokémon before it left her line of sight, “I’ll come to see you again.” The Trubbish bared her sharp teeth into a small smile, soon walking back into the alleyway it called its home.

* * *

To Sabine and Felix’s dismay (and to Oleana’s excitement), both the Purrloin and Minccino were already claimed by people who had come by earlier in the day. In exchange, the workers gave Oleana a few Pokéballs and said she could come in another time before official opening time to pick out a partner best suited for her. 

“It’s not the end of the world, sweet,” Sabine said as Oleana stomped behind her parents on the way back to the Motostoke station, “we’ll get you a pretty Pokémon to call your very own soon, alright?” 

“Hopefully sooner than later,” Felix added on, “doesn’t that sound nice, Oleana?”

“Sounds fine,” the girl whispered sarcastically under her breath, “absolutely charming.” 

“Let’s get you home now, then. That fabric needs extra attention.”

* * *

Oleana sat awake in her bed, her contacts out and the glasses saved from her mother’s bedside drawer on her face while she read with the assistance of a Lanturn night light. Wind howled outside her window and she tried not to dwell on the situation that had happened earlier today. The Trubbish was a darling little thing, and Oleana knew that even if it didn’t end up being her partner, it would still hold a special place in her eventual group of six or so. Tired of sitting in place, Oleana got up from her bed and decided to stroll around the house. In her hand was one of the Pokéballs she had received earlier. She switched it between her hands as the soft of her footsteps hit the hardwood floors, her eyes wandering around the glass doors that led to the back patio. Needing a bit of fresh air, Oleana softly unlocked the back door and walked out into the chilly night. She sat on a patio chair and looked out at the backyard in front of her - so delicately pruned and without a single weed. Oleana shivered like the leaves shook off their branches. The rustling of the trees was common (many Skwovet liked to sleep up there), but another, _uncommon_ sound came from a berry bush about a yard away. Oleana gazed over in the direction of the rustling, and her curiosity got the best of her. She stood up from her chair and walked on the grass with bare feet, feeling like a real child instead of a dolled up daughter for the first time in what seemed like years. From behind the bush, Oleana saw a shadow run across the silver fences. Leaves rustled as the shadow disappeared from the fence and its owner tried to shove its way through the bush. Tiny arms flailed and knocked down a few Hondew Berries, but the Pokémon made its way through and stood in front of Oleana. It picked up a berry and started to eat on it, and Oleana smiled brightly. How the little thing had found her home, she had no clue, but the Trubbish was back. Kneeling down again, grass stains surely to mark the knees of her nightgown, Oleana reached to pat the creature.

“Missed me that much, lovey? Don’t worry, I like you a lot too.” Oleana brushed a strand of hair out of her face and leaned forward to stare into Trubbish’s eyes, “And I’m sorry about my mom, too. I’ll tell you for a fact that my parents would hate you, lovey, but I think you’re pretty cute.” The Pokémon smiled with her sharp grin again, moving her arms up as if to tell Oleana that she wanted up. The girl noticed this motion and carefully scooped Trubbish into her arms, slowly rising off the ground to a standing position. Oleana struggled with this, as the Pokémon was heavier than she expected, and her arms shook as she tried to keep Trubbish steady. Sighing, Oleana had no choice but to let Trubbish down so she could catch her breath. 

“It’s not you, no,” the girl reassured, “it’s because you’re a little heavy. It’s okay, though - no shame in being a little bigger than the rest.” The Trubbish only responded with a small cry of her name as Oleana’s eyes lit up and she paced back to the patio. Her hair blew with the wind as she bent down to pick up the Pokéball lying there, careful not to drop it or make a sound. 

“You know,” Oleana whispered as she walked back to the creature, “you seem like a Talullah to me, lovey. Something about you screams it. So, can I call you Talullah?” Trubbish nodded, accepting the name and rushing towards Oleana with that silly smile. The Pokémon looked up at the ball with awe, knowing what it was used for and hoping that the girl would use it to capture her. Gently and with only the light of the moon to guide her, Oleana tossed the Pokeball up in Talullah’s general direction. Talullah watched as the Pokéball arced in the air, and she waddled over to a spot where she knew it would hit her. With a small thud upon her head, a blue glow emitted from the ball and brought her into it. Closing shut, Oleana ran and laid down on the grass to watch it shake. 

_Once._

_Twice._

_Thrice._

_Click!_

Oleana tried to hold back a small sound of glee as she picked up the Pokéball and cleaned the dirt off of it with her sleeves. 

“I’ve got a partner now,” she mumbled to herself, “the worst-smelling of her litter.” Careful with her footsteps once more, Oleana opened the door back into the house and made her way back into her room. She placed Talullah’s Pokeball on a pile of folded clothes in her closet with a promise that she’d come back to play with her some time when her parents weren’t around. Walking back to her bed, Oleana hopped under her blanket and opened her book again. It was a chapter on poison types, with a darling illustration of a Trubbish in the upper left corner. 

“That’s you, lovey,” Oleana smiled, “all pretty and smelly.” 

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to write some quick backstory for my girl because she needs it and i've always had a different perspective compared to the widely accepted "she was poor" fanon - plus trubbish!! is cute!! and i hate oleana's parents (or my idea of them anyway) so !!! woo!! got this out before the twilight wings episode about her either makes or breaks my headcanons and theories :')
> 
> thank you SO much for reading!~ feel free to leaves kudos, comments, and bookmarks <3


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